A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses associated with measuring and profile tools utilized in crafts, particularly in the design of quilts, and clothing. More specifically, the invention provides an improved measuring tool that incorporates a variety of undulating profiles and is useful in the construction of quilts of other items of craftsmanship that incorporate undulating, curving, wavy or non-linear profiles.
B. Description of the Related Art
Straight edge rules are well known in the art. People engaged in crafts use straight edge rulers extensively to mark lengths, lines and angles. In quilting, the use of straight edges is central to creating the geometric designs that are incorporated into the quilt and often define the quilt under construction. Quilt construction is based on a foundation of individual fabric elements that are joined together at the edges, typically by sewing, to form blocks, which blocks are joined together to form the larger blanket. If the edges of the individual fabric elements do not align properly, the design of the quilt can quickly become skewed, making the task of carrying out a quilt design very difficult. Small errors in the joining of individual fabric elements can be compounded over the course of several blocks, particularly if an error in laying out the edges of the fabric elements is repeated. The result in such cases is often a quilt whose geometric design is uneven.
For reasons of simplicity in preparing consistently sized and shaped fabric elements, it is typically the case that quilt makers rely on fabric elements that have only straight edges, including fabric squares, rectangles, triangles and parallelograms. These elements are easy to create with a straightedge ruler and a rotary cutter. However, many beautiful designs can be created, in quilt making as well as a variety of other artistic crafts and disciplines, by incorporating the design element of a wave or undulating contour. In quilting in particular, fabric elements having wavy or undulating edges may be joined together into larger blocks and, ultimately, into a quilt that has a tremendous amount of visual interest because of the non-linear design. While it is relatively easy to ensure that fabric elements having straight edges will join properly, it is a difficult task to ensure that fabric elements having wavy or undulating edges match up to the degree necessary to create a quilt comprised of as many as several hundreds of such elements. While undulating contours can be drawn by hand using a straight edge to define an axis and points spaced periodically at the crest and trough of each wave, this method of producing waves is wrought with risk of inconsistency and error. Therefore, what is needed is a measuring tool that also provides one or more edges defining a wave pattern or other series of undulations so that a repeated pattern of these undulations can be reproduced and cut on fabric swaths and so that the edges of these fabric pieces will join together accurately.
The present invention, therefore, provides improved methods and apparatuses for reproducing undulating contours on fabric or other material so that these elements, if desired, can be joined together in a consistent fashion to produce a design comprised of wavy elements.